April 2016

IDEA CUSTOM SOLUTIONS’ PARENT COMPANYWINS SECOND CONSECUTIVE “BEST EMERGINGCOMPANY FOR CREATIVES” HONOR

Affinity Express, the leading provider of white­label creative and marketingservices for companies that serve small and medium businesses (SMBs)and parent company of Idea Custom Solutions, has been distinguished asthe preeminent creative company in the information technology andbusiness process management (IT­BPM) industry in the Philippines, takinghome the "Best Emerging IT­BPM Company for Creatives" award for thesecond straight year. The company received the award at the 10thInternational ICT Awards Philippines in Manila, Philippines on March 22,2016.

Creative has always been at the heart of our mission, and westrengthened our ranks this past year by naming Amod Dani as our firstGlobal Creative Director. Dani drives the vision for Affinity Express brandsAffinityX and Idea Custom Solutions' 2,000 highly­skilled creatives, whowork seamlessly across the globe to bring SMB marketing visions to life.

"Receiving this distinction two years in a row is a great honor, and one thatdemonstrates our company's passion for delivering high­quality creativeon behalf of our clients to SMBs across all verticals," said Ken Swanson,CEO of Affinity Express. "We continue to employ some of the best creativeminds throughout the world, and we will continue to lead the SMB creativerevolution in the years to come."

The International ICT Awards Philippines recognize outstandingcontributors in the IT and business process outsourcing industry, withawards given to companies and individuals across 16 categories. In

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UPCOMING EVENTS

NBMIndianapolis, INJune 2 Exhibiting: Joanna Grant and JayBusselle

ASI Show!Chicago, ILJuly 13­14 Exhibiting: Jay Busselle and KellyGlassBooth 1138

Embroidery MartNashville, TNAugust 5­6 Attending: Jay Busselle

PPAI North AmericanLeadership ConferenceSan Francisco, CAAugust 14­16 Attending: Jay Busselle

ISSFort Worth, TXOctober 6­8 Exhibiting: Joanna Grant and JayBusselle

NOTABLE QUOTES

addition to the creative award, the company was also named a finalist forthe Best­Filipino­owned Company category. Peter Maquera, Deputy CEOand Director of LiveIt Solutions, a division of Ayala, Affinity Express' parentcompany, as well as Chairman of the Affinity Express Board of Directors,accepted the award at the ceremony.

Entrees were judged across a number of criteria, including: companygrowth; a large volume of clients with emphasis on quality work anddiversity of services; depth and breadth of competencies; high­calibercompany management; and promotion of the Philippines and corporatesocial responsibility initiatives.

SALES ENTREPRENEURS — A GREAT MARKETFOR PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS

Americans have been buying and owning things for a long, long time. Theprofessionals who help us buy and protect our homes, vehicles,businesses and livelihoods deserve a lot of credit for their assertive,entrepreneurial nature.

But how do we come in contact with professionals such as real estatebrokers and insurance agents? Sometimes it’s by referral from friends orcolleagues; sometimes we get to know our local specialists by theirreputation and the way they market their businesses. As such, bothinsurance and real estate professionals make great targets for those of uswho help promote businesses through specialty advertising products.

1. Realtors are Roving Everywhere in Your Neighborhood. Aswarmer months approach, realtors step up their showings of homesand buildings for sale, while striving to get more listings. In manyparts of the U.S., bigger sales are already blooming this spring.

From commercial to residential, business news organizations suchas Money Magazine stress the importance of salespeople toanyone in the market either to buy or sell. But to captureopportunities to serve the public, most real estate pros realize theimportance of getting their names out there.

Many real estate agents appeal to customers through reminderadvertising. For example, magnets can go beyond useful businesscards to feature Major League Baseball schedules or calendars oflocal spring and summer events.

Realtors also can capitalize on warm weather fun with brandedpromotional golf, sports and summer recreation items. Specialtyadvertising distributors should make sure to talk to real estateprofessionals about marketing options that make them stand out.

2. Insurance, Financial Professionals Know that NameRecognition Sells. With all of the choices (and ambitioussalespeople) in a vast marketplace, those who succeed over timedo so by reputation. Insurance agents, stock brokers and financialplanners know the value of having their names at prospects’fingertips.

Surprisingly, just when you thought everything has become

completely digital, sales of pens are on the rise. Writing instrumentsare definitely one way agents can keep their contact info incustomers’ hands, but with promotional product sales rising acrossthe board, there are lots of options for insurance and financialprofessionals to break out of the mold.

3. Industrial Salespeople Rely on Good Communication.Gathering important information about customers’ future plans isvery important to better understand their situations, writes DaveKahle in Industrial Supply magazine. In heavy industry,accumulation of data and specifications can help professionalssolve problems, but that shouldn’t be their entire focus. He alsohints that longer sales cycles don't eliminate the need for quick,succinct value propositions and good communication.

While the market may be less about traditional sales practices,name recognition still does help. Plus, engineers and tech peoplelove useful items and gadgets too. After all, one promotionalproduct, the ball point pen, was invented in the 20th centuryspecifically to satisfy the needs and demands of engineers andother technical professionals.

As a distributor of promotional products and specialty advertising, the keyis to demonstrate to these pro fessionals how to extend their reach. Theself­employed are often open to good ideas on how to grow fast. Don'thesitate to tap into salespeople, a market that is almost endless, as well asprofitable.

If you want to build compelling proposals for these professionals, tap in thedesign skills of Idea Custom Solutions. We can add logos to productimages, design proposal templates and provide the vector artwork andembroidery digitizing you need for production of hard goods andwearables.

T­SHIRTS: BILLBOARDS FOR SMALLBUSINESSES

Here’s a fact that probably won’t surprise you: 95 percent of Americanswear t­shirts as part of their standard attire. According to the New YorkTimes, 89 percent of those who wear them, sport t­shirts at least once aweek.

It’s fair to say that the t­shirt isn’t just functional. Rather, it’s a staple offashion, expression and comfort that has become synonymous with theAmerican way of life. Some historians say the t­shirt was first introducedas part of the clothing standard in 1913 in the U.S. Navy and, by the1920s, the word “t­shirt” had become part of the American lexicon.

But it wasn’t until the 1950s, when movie stars like Marlon Brando andJames Dean donned tees that this plain piece of clothing became awearable statement suggesting comfort, cool and perhaps a little bit ofrebellion from a buttoned­up way of life. Also in the 1950s, brands likeDisney began to mass produce the printed tee, while t­shirts with rapmusic bands and statements and concert t­shirts became commonplaceover the next two decades.

But, according to the Advertising Specialty Institute, it’s not just the Rolling

Stones or Mickey Mouse who have made t­shirts work for them. Whilealmost the entire country owns and wears t­shirts of every type imaginable— from sports teams to memorabilia for favorite bands, movies and TVshows — ASI also points out the 44 percent of U.S. consumers own apromotional t­shirt branded by a business or familiar institution.

Echoing the cultural and business importance of t­shirts, a LinkedIn articlerecent called them “walking billboards”, noting that “t­shirts are a cost­effective way to increase companies’ exposure and promote awareness ofyour brand.

McDonald’s started using t­shirts as a business promotion in 2015. Insteadof product ads or simply placing the golden arches across the front, thefast food giant teamed up with Threadless to hold a contest offering up­and­coming artists the opportunity to showcase their work and win$10,000 cash for the winning design. Along with the t­shirts, Threadlessand McDonald’s developed other promo products like brandedsmartphone cases.

For most small businesses, a simple design such as the company logoscreen printed on the front does the trick. But t­shirts designed to promotethe businesses you serve can be decorated in a variety of ways. Lastsummer ASI published an article in Advantages on many of the newgarment decorating techniques, such as sublimation and direct­to­garmentdigital printing. Also available to businesses are a slew of decorationoptions including multimedia embellishment for high color graphics, as wellas distresseddesignfor that broken­in, vintage look.

Whatever industry your customers are in, t­shirts are classic, practical anduseful for any business interested in expanding its name recognition. IdeaCustom Solutions is your partner for the vector artwork you need to ensuredesigns render well, regardless of decorating technique you choose.

JAY BUSSELLE NAMED TO THE 2016 #Online18

Dale Denham announced the 2016 #Online18 for Promo MarketingMagazine and we’re thrilled that our own Jay Busselle made the list, andfor very good reason. Dale wrote: “Jay may be the primary voice for the artand design­related content in our industry. In an industry all about logos,that is a pretty important voice, and he does an excellent job with hiscontent.”

If you would like to follow Jay, his Twitter handle is @JayBusselle. Anddon’t forget to follow Idea Custom Solutions: @Idea_Custom.Congratulations, Jay!

SEE OUR BEST WORK ON INSTAGRAM

Want to learn more about our creativity and see the types of work we dofor our clients in the promotional products and ad specialty industry andtheir end customers? Want to check out our latest videos and award­winning holiday cards? Then you’ll love following Idea Custom Solutionson Instagram: idea_custom. We look forward to your comments!

CLIENTS ARE RAVING

“Great service, excellent communication and fast turnaround. My fileslook great! Thank you!”

Idea Custom Solutions distributor customer

“Very good work.”

Idea Custom Solutions distributor customer

“You’re awesome ”

Idea Custom Solutions distributor customer

Embroidery Digitizing

EMPLOYEESPOTLIGHT

Viswakiran ParankarUnit Supervisor, Artwork Team

Vishwakiran has been with IdeaCustom Solutions sinceNovember 2006, when he startedas a production designer.Currently, he is a team leader forthe Artwork Department, whichinvolves driving creativity andensuring quality designs withinrequired turn times.

He is proud to say that he wasrecognized for his work andawarded as “Star of Month” twice.For anyone thinking of joiningIdea Custom Solutions,Vishwakiran says: “Idea CustomSolutions is the best company inthe creative field, where you getto learn and expand your skills.”

Furthermore, his advice is: “Workhard and you will always getrewarded for that. I stronglybelieve the combination of hardwork and smart work is the key tosuccess.”

He has ambitious goals and says:

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“I would like to become the bestartist as well as the best creativementor to enhance the skills ofmy team members.”

When not at work, Vishwakiranlikes to stay in touch with thelatest technologies and software.He spends a lot of time with hiswife and child. For hobbies, hesketches caricatures andvolunteers for social causes. Healso enjoys watching movies andexploring nature. In fact, hisdream is to tour the world with hisfamily. We hope all his dedicatedefforts pay off and his dreamcomes true!

TWEET THAT

Small businesses needstrong #logos. Hereare 5 tips to brand your#SMB with smartdesign concepts.http://goo.gl/YodL7o

Color, typography canillustrate your missionand ensure the best#logo for yourbusiness.http://goo.gl/1kYnWs

Logos are important to#millennials too,retailers find, but lessis more. Keep your#logo crisp and simple.http://goo.gl/36NXEI

Power of free stuff:#PromoProducts liketees, totes, snacks,fanny packs get yourbrand and #logo incustomers’ hands.http://goo.gl/P9p2BZ

Apple, Lego andMicrosoft are some ofthe world’s mostfavorite #logos, butthey’ve evolved overtime. Here’s how:http://goo.gl/hKXBE7

@USAToday highlights9 secrets to#tradeshow success.How many is yourbusiness using?http://goo.gl/xYYTNO

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Travel tech make great#TradeShow#PromoProducts. Bagtags, ear buds andtravel mugs make longflights a delight.https://goo.gl/SXe5OT

Reusable#PromoProducts liketote bags are a hit with#TradeShow guests.Here are 5 ways to “gogreen”.http://goo.gl/qU2FGQ

If you have any designs created by our team that you would liketo share in this newsletter, send them to us atmarketing@ideacustom.com

2016 AffinityX All Rights Reserved. The mark Affinity Express is a registered trademark of Affinity Express, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries, and Idea CustomSolutions is the sole property of Affinity Express.